Arvind Kejriwal says Delhi better off without protesting bureaucrats

Two senior civil service officers of the Home Department have been suspended by the AAP government for refusing to sign on a Cabinet decision file, following which around 200 DANICS-cadre officers have threatened to go on mass leave tomorrow in solidarity.

Subsequently, the Union Home Ministry today declared the suspension orders of two DANICS-cadre officers by the Delhi government as null and void.

"Why they have chose to go on mass leave just a day before start of the odd-even scheme.

The Cabinet is supreme and the officers have no right to overrule that", Kejriwal said.

He also criticised Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung for "directing" officials not to work.

Irritated within both officers' suspension, the DANICS Officials' Affiliation, comprising about 200 people who maintain essential articles including that of secretary to minister SDM and unique assistant, are considering to take leave that is bulk. Scores of IAS officers in the government also went on a half-day leave.

BJP Lok Sabha member Meenkashi Lekhi said the AAP government was looking for an escape route since the scheme was bound to fail. "It's clear its a conspiracy, if officers had grievances they should have gone to the chief minister and not the LG", he said. LG in turn was in touch with Nripendra Misra in PMO, Kejriwal tweeted.

Rijiju was reacting to a media query about the Centre's fresh round of confrontation with the AAP government over suspension of two officers of th Delhi government.

Speaking on the controversy, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said he has no idea about the strike.

"It declares the suspension order is "non est" (mistake or does not exist) and the two officers should be considered deemed to be on duty", a senior Home Ministry official said. He also said that the state would run more efficiently without the protesting bureaucrats, and that "governance will become honest".

"The suspension of two special secretaries is completely a wrong administrative decision".

The government announced a series of radical measures to mitigate rising pollution in the city, chief among them the introduction of the odd-even policy, under which vehicles bearing odd and even registration plates plied on alternate days starting today.

Who were the officers suspended?

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